Planting implement



5m@ 1s, 1935. J. A, DE WASME 2,005,518

` v PLANTING IMPLEMENT Filed May 19, 1934 :and ithe like.

Patente-d June 178, 1935 UNiTEo STATES AritrENT oFFicE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to .improvements in planting implements such as are .used to lighten the laboi` of planting `tobacco plants and other plants such as cabbages, tomatoes, strawberries Thegeneral object of :the invention to pro- -vide Aan implement Vof this .character which may be operated with ease and eiiiciency.

Contributory yobjects are to provide improved valve mechanism tor releasing a limited amount of `water from the reservoir during each operation; lto provide improved jaws or spades at the lower end `to facilitate the vpreparation of the hole into which `the plant is dropped; 4.to :provide an improved chute through `which the plant slides without 1Stich-ing and to provide other improved parts which may be readily manuractmed and assembled.

4'In fthe accompanying drawing' have illus trated one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. l a iront elevation thereof;

Fig. 2 is .an enlarged .sectional elevation oi the upper part `of the implement;

Fig. .3 is .an .enlarged sectional elevation .of athe lower .part oi the implement;

Fig. f4 isa top plan view of the implement;

Fig. .5 is .-a section on the line 5--'51ofFig. .1;

Fig. 6 isa fragmentary view of .certain parts in .a diierent position from that in Fig. 2; :and

Fig. 7 is a sectional View of va .modied discharge tube.

The implement, in the form show-n Lin the drawing, consists essentially .of .a Isheet metal housing or water vreservoir iii, of substantially cylindrical outline, and a chute or discharge tube lli vder the plants, inclined with respect thereto Aand vmerging therewith .at the lower, tapering section l2. The plants are dropped Ain the iflaring `upper-end :l t, `of the tube, and slide down :the same into the lowermost chamber ill, from which their discharge -is normally blocked `by .the relatively movable :jaws or spades i5, it, .as shown in Fig. 3. When `the jaws are .open -the (plants .drop into the opening in .the `soil .provided for them, in a manner which is well understood.

.The jaw l5 is fixed, being riveted to 'the lower .conical section 'i'.li vof v.the housing `and the .other jaw it yis pivoted :at il Lto the li'lrst 'lja-w. When swung yopen .it assumes the Adotted line position `:shown in Fig. 3. .As :shown sin Figs. 1 and 5, the xed jaw l5 `is provided with a wing -or cutting edge i8 and .the 'movable ljaw It 'is provided with 1a similar wing t9, whereby when `vthe'lrousing is rotatedabout a vertical-axis these wings .or .cutting edges facilitate the drillingoi a tapering hole -in .the vsoil and of a sizesom'ewhat greater than the tapering jaws themselves, whereby said jaws may -bernore readily separated to permit the plant to drop into the opening.

The movable jaw it is normally held in extensions 2li on a lever 25, which consists pref- 10 erably of a, wire or rod, bent to provide two lparallel spans, `side '-by side, and surrounded by a rubber hand grip,` which lever is pivoted `about `a .transverse rod 2t by means of 'a formed piece vof sheet metal 2i, as shown in Figs. 2 f15 and 4. A handle 2t or *hand -grip Yis mounted at the top 4of :the housing it] on uprights 2i] andl is at a convenient vdistance from the lever 25 vso that the operator "may grip not only the fixed handle but may grip the movable leverui 20 also and raise .one end Iof the same, to rock it about its lpivot and rforce open lthe hinged jaw jafter the lower `end of the implement has been pushed down into the soi-1. The handle 23 also .enables'the operator to vtwist the implement 25 back 4and vforth -or rotate it whle'pressing it downwardly .to dig the necessary opening for theplant, and to `tu-rn it to Aclose in the earth around the plant.

As stated, the upper Apart -of the main housing 30 comprises a l.reservoir `for water or other liquid, the bottom vof the tank 3d, (see Fig. 3) having a flaring outlet 3l lor valve seat, closed by a ball valve mem-ber 32, the ball being mounted on Afthe screw threaded end `of the valve stem 33 vand .adjustably retained -by nuts 3d. The ball may be made oi suitable compressible material such as rubber and is normally pressed upwardly to-fclose the outlet, the valve being opened by :moving lthe'stem downwardly `by means which o will new Ib'e described.

The upper end of the valve stem, as shown in Fig. 2, passes through openings in a VU shaped `bracket 35 having vertical slots 13e therein through which fbolts Si pass for adjustably 45 .clamping lit `to fthe `side `wall Aof the reservoir it. `The `openings .through which the valve stem passes are :in the form of slots 38 so that the valve stem is -not -only guided in its vertical .movement ibut may move laterally as well, as 50 shown by `another lof its ,positions in Fig. 6. A springf, mounted in the bracket, presses upwardly on the collar it mounted on said valve stem thus 'holdingithe latter normally in uppermost position and retaining the valve at vthe 55 lowerend in closed position. .Another spring et hooked Lto .one of .the ,arms .of the .bracket `35, holdsthe valve stem inthe left hand position as viewed in Fig. 2, as distinguished from its right hand position, as viewed in Fig. 6.

Near the 60 top of the valve stem is mounted a double cam or collar li?. having double beveled surfaces, and a depending shoulder 43 to engage the arm of the bracket beneath it and limit the downward movement of the valve stem. The rear end of the lever 25, which, as stated, is composed of a wire or rod, is bent in the form of a loop, the transverse rear span 413 of which engages the upper of the two cam surfaces as shown in` Fig. 2.

When the operator grips the handle and pulls the front of the lever 25 upwardly the rear portion presses the valve rod downwardly, thereby opening the valve to discharge a limited amount of water through the jaws and into the opening in the soil into which the plant is being dropped concurrently. The slope of the cam is such that the valve stem does not swing rearwardly against the pull of the spring 4I until the shoulder 633 strikes the upper arm of the bracket 35, at which time the cam is forced to the right as shown in Fig. 6, further movement resulting .inthe cam surface snapping over the rounded rear end of the lever 44 and snapping upwardly to close the valve immediately, even though the operator continues to hold the jaws open for a longer period. When the operator withdraws the implement from the ground and releases his grip on the level1 25, the jaws are closed and the lever is restored to initial position by the spring 20, causing the rearend 44 of said lever to snap over the double cam d2. Said double cam constitutes a yielding retainer cooperating with the part M to open said valve temporarily and permit it to snap shut without preventing the further rocking movement of the lever 25, which is necessary to fully open the jaws at the bottom of the implement. By virtue of the downwardly flaring valve seat 3i, there is less danger of the valve fouling by reason of leaves or other foreign matter in the water tank. To clean the valve seat it is merely necessary to grip the handle and operate the lever 25, thereby discharging a small quantity of water through the outlet to wash oif foreign material if any should be caught between the valve and its seat.

To facilitate the descent of the plant through the inclined tube Il, it may be provided von the inside with a series of ribs in the form of wires 45, with hooks it formed at the top to grip the flaring inlet end. Said ribs may be otherwise formed, as for example by pressing in the metal of the discharge tube Il, as shown in Fig. 7, at 4l. Also, to facilitate the opening of the jaws, each may be provided with a V shaped sheet metal projection Q3, welded thereto, to force the earth aside.

I claim:

l. In a planting implement, a tank for liquid, a valve therein, a longitudinally movable rod to open said valve, a manually movable lever, a beveled member on said 'rod yieldingly engaged by said lever whereby, when said lever is actuated, said rod is moved to open said valve, a fixed stop to be engaged by said beveled member to obstruct the same and prevent further valve opening movement of said rod, whereby additional movement of said lever causes it to slip off said beveled member, thereby causing said valve to deliver a limited amount of liquid.

2. In a planting implement, a water tank, a valve inthe bottom thereof, a vertical valve stem therefor extending up through said tank,

a movable release member, a beveled collar on the upper end of said valve stem engaged by said release member tov depress said valve stem until said release member slips ofi said collar and means normally holding said valve stem in uppermost position.

3. In combination a water tank, an outlet valve having a seat flaring downwardly, a verti cal valve closure rod, a valve on the same fitting said seat, a spring normally pressing said valve upwardly against its seat, manually actuated means to press said rod downwardly, a bracket through which said rod passes having openings permitting vertical and lateral movement of said rod, and means causing lateral movement thereof after a predetermined downward movement t0 disengage said rod from said manually actuated means and thus limit 'the opening of said valve.

4. In combination a water tank, an outlet valve having a seat flaring downwardly, a vertlcal valve closure rod, a valve on the same tting said seat, a spring normally pressing said valve upwardly against its seat, manually actuated means to press said rod downwardly, a bracket through which said rod passes having openings permitting vertical and lateral movement of said rod,. means causing lateral movement thereof after a predetermined downward movement to disengage said rod from said manually actuated ing in the bottom of said tank, a double cam I v on the top of said rod and a pivoted lever to engage the top of said cam and snap under the sameafter a predetermined movement.

6. In a device of the class described, a water reservoir having a transverse rod near the top, a lever pivoted on said rod between its ends, the forward end being accessible for manual lifting, a cam engaged by the rear end of said lever, a valve stem on which said cam is mounted, a valve in the bottom of said tank controlled by said valve stem, a spring normally impelling said valve stem upwardly and a second spring normally impelling the upper end of said valve stem forwardly to maintain the engagement between said rear end and said cam.

7. A planting implement comprising a reservoir, a housing beneath the same, a handle at the top thereof, a plant chute communicating with said housing, a fixed jaw secured to said housing, a movable jaw pivoted to said xed jaw, a lever adjacent said handle, a link connecting said lever to said movable jaw to operate the latter, a valve inthe lower end of said reservoir having a flaring seat projecting downwardly, a valve member closing said seat and a cam operatively connected with said member and yieldingly engaged by said lever, during its initial movement, for opening said valve momentarily by a downward movement thereof, said lever slipping over said cam during the completion of its jaw actuating movement.

JOSEPH A. DE WASME, 

